*Gluten Free Hints and Tips*. I thought it might be a good idea to have a thread that has hints and tips for people who are glut

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cookessentials, May 13, 9:06pm
ruby, what are your thoughts on the site below?
http://www.mfd.co.nz/ is it helpful to those with either a gluten intolerance or coeliac disease? I see it lists quite a number of products which would be helpful to sufferers? or do you still have to pick and choose?
herika, May 13, 9:09pm
Hi ruby,
I agree, fresh is best. There is nothing wrong with the GF pastas, there are a few different brands on the market now too.
30 years ago people just didnt have the products on the shelves that we do now so werent eating a lot of pre prepared or packaged foods that are full of additives and preservatives (that can contain gluten).A lot of people are returning to that sort of diet, even if they arent gluten free :)
ruby19, May 13, 9:11pm
I did point my friend to that site, to give her some ideas on what they could include in their shopping so all their family could eat the same, and not have 2 different brands of products, but after reading what some posters have said about manufacturers changing their ingredients, I am not sure.I think it is a good starting point if you have no idea, but as with everything it may not be gospel, a bit of trial & error.
herika, May 13, 9:12pm
Sorry to butt in cookessentials, but I personally dont like that site.
There are a lot of products on there I wouldnt have, eg the Hansells essences (see my post above commenting on them).
Also the people who contribute to the site are the manufacturers themselves and they often dont fully understand the gluten issue and/or their products have "hidden gluten" in them.
Manufacturers often change the ingredients in their products and dont update the site and this can cause problems.
If anyone was going to use that site I would suggest they check out the product very carefully first before buying and consuming it.
herika, May 13, 9:25pm
Sushi is often recommended for gluten intolerant people, but be aware that the seaweed wrap may cause problems if you suffer diarrhoea. All seaweed and seaweed products can cause diarrhoea as can vege gums, cocoa, quite a few additives and preservatives, a lot of which are added to gluten free foods.
A safe vinegar is Cider Vinegar. (White vinegar can be made from a gluten containing grain).
Braggs All Purpose Seasoning is gluten free. It is made from only soy beans and purified water. It has no alcohol, additives, preservatives or colourants. Its just like ordinary soy sauce too which is great! It seems expensive but as only such a small amount is used each time it lasts for ages, so really worth it. :)
cookessentials, May 13, 9:30pm
No problem herika...your advice is always welcome and it is good to know these things. I see that the site is continually updated and I would have thought that it would take into consideration the changes of various foods. When we were in Australia, there was a fabulous magazine that was available and I think it was put out by their coeliac society. I do have a couple of them at home and they are very imformative. I know my girlfriend that has coeliacs found it very difficult when living in New Zealand, to get the variety of items that she can get in Australia, but I guess that will change over time.
herika, May 13, 9:43pm
hi cookessentials
Yes, when I was in Oz I saw a lot of products over there that are not here in NZ too.But things are getting better here and companies are getting better informed so thats good :)
herika, May 13, 9:53pm
Its amazing what gluten can be in: things like toothpaste, lipsticks, the gum on envelopes and heaps of things. So if anyone is still having symptoms of gluten intolerance it may pay you to check the above as well as any tablets and medicines too :)
herika, May 14, 12:45am
There is a lot of "hidden gluten".It can be in the ingredients added to food such as MSG, HVP, "natural flavours" etc.The 1400 range are thickeners and are made from starch and could have gluten in them. If they are wheat based starches they will contain gluten. Another confusion is thickeners are sometimes called "modified starch" or "dextrins". Also some additives such as vege gums (guar gum etc) are laxatives and can cause diarrhoea (even small amounts of these additives can affect some people). There is a website called "Fed Up With Food Additives" that has info on additives etc :)
herika, May 14, 4:02am
This is also taken from the NZ Coeliac Website:
"Keep cooking utensils separate during food preparation and cooking, avoid frying food in the same oil that has previously been used to cook gluten containing foods,use a clean grill, separate toaster or toaster bags to make gluten-free toast,use separate breadboards and wash surfaces thoroughly".
buzzy110, May 14, 4:25am
As ever herika, your advice is good because it is based on experience and trial and error and cuts through all the misinformation that manufacturers put out about their products.

It is obviously not completely wise for anyone who cannot eat gluten to put all their faith in claims made by manufacturers.

There is a magazine out now in NZ for coeliacs. I had a quick read of one when I was standing in the c/o queue in my local Super Value store.
minana, May 14, 9:53am
hi all, I am gluten intolerant too. A few years back I discovered I'd developed an allergy to pearl barley - you know the lovely gluteny grains in those winter soups! It's like being poisoned. Sometimes it's in fish sauces or Asian dishes and I don't realise till its too late. Miso soup seems to have the same effect on me - straight thru. blah. Anyone else?
buzzy110, May 14, 7:46pm
CARBOHYDRATE SENSITIVITY:

I am not gluten intolerant but I have done some reading on the subject because I entertain a bit and also have a friend who is coeliac. My Dr gave me the book, Going Against The Grain. It is such a brilliant book that I went on the net and bought a copy.

One of the things I read in there was that gluten intolerant/coeliac people should try very hard to limit the amount of grains and even starches in their diet because they could, over time, also become carbohydrate sensitive.

I think this is extremely important. In other threads I have read, often sufferers, instead of making a complete sea change in their diet by choosing vegetables, fats and proteins (which are really quite filling - ask any low carber) seek to replace their favourite grain foods such as breads, pastas and cakes, etc, with substitute grains.

If you reason that it was probably the very high grain diet that was the source of their auto-immune disease in the first place then seeking to replace one sort of grain with another would eventually be counterproductive to health IMO.
herika, May 14, 10:19pm
Hi minana. Yes, gluten has the same effect on me! As does cows milk and vege gums and anything classed as a gum, eg tapioca, seaweed and products etc etc.
herika, May 14, 10:21pm
Thanks buzzy, this is sooooo interesting.Good to have this info here :)
bedazzledjewels, May 15, 7:58am
Interesting post on wheat and gluten:

http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/blame-gluten.html
herika, May 15, 8:04am
Food Intolerance explaination from:www.foodreactions.org
Food Intolerance is the inability to completely break down food into absorbable components due to lack or insufficient amounts of digestive enzymes.
The unabsorbed food which remain in the digestive system causes the classic symptoms of bloating and cramps and others.
Allergies, intolerances, and coeliac disease are all different. Allergies affect 7% of children and 2% of adults, and usually involve one or more of: milk, eggs, wheat, soybeans, nuts, and peanuts (legumes). Allergy reactions include asthma, arthritis, runny nose, itching, and rashes; and sometimes persistent diarrhea.
Most children outgrow allergies within a few years, and a number of adults report that allergies can disappear if they stay away from the offending foods for a year or more. Allergies are potentially fatal if they trigger an anaphylactic reaction. Allergy reactions are caused by the immune system. [Allergies involve IgE antibodies, which are different from the antibodies involved in CD].
Intolerances are unlike allergies in that they have nothing to do with the antibodies our immune systems produce. A food intolerance is a non-immune reaction to food or food additives. Gluten intolerance causes difficulty digesting gluten and exhibits mild symptoms ranging from runny noses and wheezing to digestive upsets such as abdominal pain, bloating, and diarrhea.
CD, also known as gluten enteropathy, is neither an allergy nor an intolerance. Gluten enteropathy causes damage to the lining in the small intestine, which interferes with the absorption of nutrients. Neither allergies nor intolerances lead to this sort of intestinal damage.
herika, May 16, 6:32am
Thank you for that link bedazzled, its always good to get more info.
herika, May 16, 8:12pm
Make sure you read ALL whats on the packet of a bought product.

On the Simple Baking mix packets it has:ingredients: Gluten Free Flours - Rice Flour, Tapioca Starch and Corn Starch,Sugar, Raising Agent (450, 500), Vegetable Gum (Guar Gum - 412) .
Their site also says: Contains No: Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Peanuts, Nuts, Sesame Seeds, Potato, Egg, Soy, Fructose -but above that it says: Not ideal for: Packed at a site that also processes peanuts and tree nuts!!!!
Sometime manufacturers do not realise the seriousness of food allergies or intolerances.I believe that product should not have nuts listed in the "Contains No:" list, just shows how careful we have to be.
herika, May 16, 8:16pm
The blood tests to diagnose Coeliac Disease are the tTg and EMA ones.Then having an endoscopy confirms it.

To diagnose gluten sensitivity, which is nothing to do with CD, the
tests needed are the IgG-gliadin and the IgA-gliadin ones.
This test is not valued by Medics.
YouMUSTspecify, strongly, you want this test, esp if the CD ones come back negative.
Im told the MedLab South in Christchurch does these tests.
Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington MedLabs no longer do these tests.

Out of 500 people tested only 50 have CD.
buzzy110, May 17, 12:01am
herika - would it be correct if I assume that even though there is quite a difference between the two syndromes - i.e. (1) an allergy to gluten (2) damaged small intestinal vili, that the dietary advice would be the same?

I also wonder, if one is allergic to gluten, as opposed to having damaged vili, whether a sufferer would also find themselves allergic to other things as well?

Your posts have always intrigued me. My friend calls herself coeliac but as she also seems to have allergies to lactose, chili and eggs with sensitivities to several other foodstuffs, whether she is in fact more of an allergy sufferer like yourself than coeliac. She hasn't been diagnosed because her doctor still continues to insist that there is no such thing as coeliac disease and that she just has a psychological problem which a counsellor could help her with!

However, she knows which foods to avoid in order to feel great.
herika, May 17, 4:13am
Hi buzzy, yes the dietary advice would be basically the same only with the person adding to the no go list the foods that theyspecifically have a bad reaction to. I guess a person could be allergic to other things as well as gluten, as its more the persons system that is reacting adversely to the food not the other way around, if you get my drift. :)
Every one is different (not surprising really as everyone is different, sorry just my wacky sense of humour coming in there! lol) and have different sensitivities.Im thinking that because the gluten damages the system it makes for other sensitivities to occur too.
Its a shame her doctor doesnt know anything about food intolerances. Most GP's just arent trained in this field unfortunately.
Like her, I know which foods to avoid and dont have any problems, unless I get caught out with a manufacturer changing or adding a different ingredient in a product or something like that.
Thats one of the main reasons I started "talking" about gluten intolerances in here, to help people, because there seemed to be no help or information out there that was any good for me or lots of other people I spoke to.
painterman, May 19, 12:38am
Some indian food is awesome and has no gluten at all.

They don't use wheat in a lot of parts of india.

So many curries are gluten free, of course rice is gluten free, and things like onion bahjis are made from 'pea flour' which is gluten free.

You can do completely vegetarian and gluten free, and can do vegan even. (but I like my mango lassi drink... with yoghurt...)
herika, May 19, 9:25pm
Hi painterman, I love curries but still need to be careful if buying from an establishment. (I generally make my own from scratch).I always ask about the ingredients used esp what flour they use to thicken it, as a different or new person can be working there.
Pea flour is a gluten free flour and can be used for thickening too.
Thanks for your post, have a great day :)
sikofstuf, May 20, 5:49am
I've just been contacted for a gluten/dairy free wedding cake to do in July- my last attempts at gluten free didnt end up so well- not sure if it was the recipe or me! hehe- does anyone have a fool proof recipe for the above with choc raspberry or choc and orange? Any help would be greatly appreciated! :-)